The WaPo is reporting that the Maryland State Senate has passed a bill legalizing same sex marriage. The bill narrowly passed the House of Delegates last week.

The bill now goes to Democratic Governor Martin O’Malley, who has said he will sign it. When he signs it, Maryland will join the District of Columbia and 7 states in allowing same-sex marriages.

The Post reports that the final vote by the state Senate ended a year-long drama in Annapolis over the legislation. The Post also notes that this is the first time an East Coast state south of the Mason-Dixon line has supported gay marriage.

Despite one of the largest Democratic majorities in any state legislature, backers of gay marriage in Maryland had to overcome fierce opposition from blocks of African American lawmakers and those with strong Catholic and evangelical views to cobble together coalitions big enough to pass both houses of the Legislature.

A tyrant must put on the appearance of uncommon devotion to religion. Subjects are less apprehensive of illegal treatment from a ruler whom they consider god-fearing and pious. On the other hand, they do less easily move against him, believing that he has the gods on his side. AristotleNever discourage anyone...who continually makes progress, no matter how slow. Plato.."A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives" Jackie Robinson

Sadly, the cardinal of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Maryland says legalization of same-sex marriage threatens families. I find this very sad because this comment fails to recognize that same-sex marriages are families.

The cardinal has promised that the archdiocese will work to overturn the law.

According to the Baltimore Sun, the two sides in Maryland's fight over same-sex marriage agree on this: It won't be over until November. Opponents are expected to mobilize quickly to gather sufficient signatures for a petition to get a referendum on the November ballot.

Interestingly, under Maryland's Constitution, now that the Senate and House have passed identical same-sex marriage bills, the petition process can begin — with no need to wait for Governor O'Malley to sign the bill into law (which he's not expected to do until next week).

Typically, opponents of a newly passed law would first submit the proposed wording of their petition forms to the State Board of Elections, something they could set in motion as early as today. Indeed, state elections officials are already getting calls seeking information on how to start the process.

Even the bill's staunchest supporters expect its opponents to easily gather the 55,736 signatures necessary to get the issue on the November ballot. "I think it will only take a few rounds of church signings to getitdone," said Carrie Evans, executive director of Equality Maryland and a leading advocate of the legislation. Which shows you how influential religious groups (or maybe just the Catholic Church?) will be in this battle.

Most likely the Republicon Party and the Christian Taliban will push for a referendum before the law takes effect in January 2013. In a Politico forum this morning that also included Governor Martin O'Malley (D MD) Governor Bob McDonnell (R VA) insisted that

Most of the data that I’ve read that the best environment for a child to grow up to be fully capable of achieving the American dream and having the best start at life in an intact two-parent family made up of a man and a woman. I would say that that’s what all the data would suggest…An intact two-parent family is in fact the best for our country. Should be the model, but when it doesn’t work we have safety nets. Link 1

Most agree that an intact two parent family is the best envrionment for children, there is no peer reviewed evidence that opposide sex couple does a better job than a same sex couple. In fact, in 2004 the American Psychological Association released a polict statement that says in part

WHEREAS there is no scientific evidence that parenting effectiveness is related to parental sexual orientation: lesbian and gay parents are as likely as heterosexual parents to provide supportive and healthy environments for their children (Patterson, 2000, 2004; Perrin, 2002; Tasker, 1999);

WHEREAS research has shown that the adjustment, development, and psychological well-being of children is unrelated to parental sexual orientation and that the children of lesbian and gay parents are as likely as those of heterosexual parents to flourish (Patterson, 2004; Perrin, 2002; Stacey & Biblarz, 2001);

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the APA opposes any discrimination based on sexual orientation in matters of adoption, child custody and visitation, foster care, and reproductive health services;

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the APA believes that children reared by a same-sex couple benefit from legal ties to each parent;

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the APA supports the protection of parent-child relationships through the legalization of joint adoptions and second parent adoptions of children being reared by same-sex couples;Link 2

"The right of voting for representatives is the primary right by which other rights are protected. To take away this right is to reduce a man to slavery, for slavery consists in being subject to the will of another, and he that has not a vote in the election of representatives is in this case." Thomas Paine: Dissertation on First Principles of Government (July 1795)

A tyrant must put on the appearance of uncommon devotion to religion. Subjects are less apprehensive of illegal treatment from a ruler whom they consider god-fearing and pious. On the other hand, they do less easily move against him, believing that he has the gods on his side. AristotleNever discourage anyone...who continually makes progress, no matter how slow. Plato.."A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives" Jackie Robinson

In a Politico forum this morning that also included Governor Martin O'Malley (D MD) Governor Bob McDonnell (R VA) insisted that

Most of the data that I’ve read that the best environment for a child to grow up to be fully capable of achieving the American dream and having the best start at life in an intact two-parent family made up of a man and a woman.

So, unless McDonnell is just irrational, I assume he wants to outlaw, not same-sex marriage, but divorce, out-of-wedlock childbirth and single-parent adoption.

It is the disconnect between people’s stated goals and their desire to deprive same-sex couples and children of the rights and responsibilities of civil marriage that we know the latter is merely due to an irrational animus.

In a Politico forum this morning that also included Governor Martin O'Malley (D MD) Governor Bob McDonnell (R VA) insisted that

Most of the data that I’ve read that the best environment for a child to grow up to be fully capable of achieving the American dream and having the best start at life in an intact two-parent family made up of a man and a woman.

So, unless McDonnell is just irrational, I assume he wants to outlaw, not same-sex marriage, but divorce, out-of-wedlock childbirth and single-parent adoption.

It is the disconnect between people’s stated goals and their desire to deprive same-sex couples and children of the rights and responsibilities of civil marriage that we know the latter is merely due to an irrational animus.

Right. Bob McDonnell doesn't give a damn about kids being fully capable of achieving the American dream (and where did he dig up that moldy old phrase?). He just hates gays.